Drum and trap combination



\ May 22, 1923.

U. G. LEEDY DRUM AND TRAP'COMBINATION Filed Aug. 5, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ghana May 22, 1923.

U. G. LEEDY DRUM AND TRAP COMBINATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5,

h uiilii Irwin" nun. "uh u u lcromew,

Patented May 22, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ULYSSES G. LEEDY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO LEEDY MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPGBA'IIDN OF INDIANA.

DRUM AND TRAP COMBINATION.

Application filed August 5, 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ULYssns G. Lnnnr, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Drum and Trap Combination, of which'the following is a specification.

The drummer of an orchestra, especially one which provides dance music, is required to manipulate many instruments and appliances in addition to the'bass and snare drums and music of this kind is often furnished at points distant from the residence of the drummer.

The object of my present invention is to provide a drum trap combination, the various elements of which shall be of such character that a self contained and easily handled'and manipulable outfit can be assembled quickly and also of such character that the bass drum may form a container and carrier for all of the other elements of the outfit, this function being performed Without the necessity of interfering in any way with the ten'sioning andmaintenance of the drum heads.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention. Fig. l is a perspective of the device with its various elements in assembled position, ready for manipulation; Fig. 2, an axial section of the bass drum; Fig. 3, a perspective of the snare drum mounting; Fig. 4: front elevation of the cradle for the bass drum; Fig. 5, a section through one leg of the cradle; 6, a vertical section through the instrument table and adjacent portions of the bass drum, Fig. 7, a hori zontal section through the cymbal, and its supporting arm; Fig. 8, a detail in partial horizontal section of the mounting for the crash-cymbal; Fig. 9, an elevation of the bass drum with the various implement-s packed therein, the work table, however, being shown in operative position on the bass drum, and Fig. 10, a perspective View of the device in condition to be readily trans ported. v

In the drawings, 10 andll indicate re spectively the front and rear heads of the bass drum, said heads being mounted upon independent telescopic cylindrical shell sectiQDS ,1lQ and 11 respectivelyby the usual .cb tet,.ho rs the coun r eaps, ow v r, hiin'g ind'ependei'itly associated with their a:

Serial No. 480,070.

spective shells by any suitable means such for instance as the threaded brackets 12 and the screws 13 which pass through the counter hoops in the brackets. Shell 10 is provided externally with a series ofspring fingers 15 secured to the shell. Each finger 15 is projected slightly beyond the adjacent edge of the shell and provided with an inwardly projectlng pin 17 which is {LC apted to enter any one of the suitably arranged series of holes 18 in the shell 11 over which the shell 10 telescopes. Shell 11 may be reinforced by internal hoops 19 in registry with the perforations 18, if desired. Each finger 15 is slotted at 20 and passed through each slot is a stem of a,- clamping head 21, the stem being rotatably mounted in the shell 10 and the head being adapted to be turned across the perforation 20 so as to hold pin 17 projected into one of the perforations 18. the construction being such that the two shells 10 and 11" may be firmly held in any desired position of axial adjustment.

The counter hoops 22 of the bass drum are preferably L-shaped in cross section, as shown in Figs. 2 and, 5, and the bass drum is firmly held in place upon the floor by means of a cradle formed of a stretcher bar 23. two legs 24:, 24- having sharpened lower ends and at their upper ends provided with an overlying lip 25 to form a pocket 26 into which the horizontal arm of the hoop 22 may be inverted as clearly shown in Fig. The stretcher bar is pivotally connected at 27 toone of the legs 24 and at the other end is provided with an open slot 28, formed to receive the stem of :1 cl amping bolt 29 which is passed through the other leg; 24-. (as clearly shown in Fig. 5), and provided with a hutterfly nut 30. the arrangement being such that the slot-ted end of bar 23 being first detached from the adjacent leg 24. the other leg 24 may be hooked over the counter hoop. the other leg 24 may also be hooked over the counter hoop and the slotted end of bar 23 then slippedover bolt 29 and nut 30 clamped down. thereby providing alight, easily tached and. removed cradle by means of which the drum may be firmly supported and held against sliding and rocking move ments.

In order that the snare drum may be placed asclose as possible to the base drum. thereby facilitatingthe nianipulation of the other instruments, to which reference will be made, I attach, to the shell 10, a bracket having an out turned ear 31 perforated at 32, and an outwardly projecting lug 33 spaced from ear 31. An arm provided with a laterally ofi'set extension and snare drum receiving finger 36, set at the proper angle, provides a readily detachable mounting for the snare drum 37. Extension 35 is provided with a perforation 38 adapted to receive the lug Extension 36 is pertorated in order to receive a threaced pin 39 carried by a bracket 40 secured to the shell of the snare drum 37, a butterfly nut 41 serving to clamp the drum 37 to the arm 3 L in such manner that the drum 3? may be swung about a substantially horizontal axis which is formed by the pin 3, and held in any desired position of convenient adjustment by the clamping nut 4L1.

By raising to tree the perforation 38 from. lug 33, the arm 34 may be with drawn vfrom bracket 3-1, and by removing nut 39, the arm may be detached from the snare drum so that the snare drum and arm 34 may be packed into the bass drum in the manner to be described.

The stretcher bar 23 carries a horizontally projected toe upon which may be clamped a drum and cymbal beater 51 of any desired term. The details of this drum and cymbal beater form no part of my present invention and, as there are several such devices on the market and the construction is well. known, I do not consider that any further description is necessary.

It is quite common to provide a cymbal 52 connected to the shell oi the bass drum in such manner that it may be sounded, either by some instrument in the hand of the drummer of by a beater arm 53. forming part of the device 51. In the present instance, however, I be c provided a special mounting for the cymbal by means of which it may be readily adjusted relative to the foot operated beater 53, so that the character of its sounding may be properly varied relative to the sounding of the bass drum.

Secured by any suitable means to shell 10' is an arm (Fig. 7) provided with an out turned finger 61' which has an open ended slot 62 formed therein. This slot 62 is tormed to receive the shank of a threaded bolt 63, the threaded end of which is pro-- j ected through the central perforation of the cymbal 52 and carries a clamping butterfly nut 6a. Interposed between cymbal 52 and finger 61 is a tapered washer upon the tapered or inclined face of which the cymbal is clamped, the arrangement being such that by rotating this washer upon the shank 63 and relative to arm 61, the distance of the cymbal from the normal point of action of the beater 53 may be readily adjusted. By reason of the slotted construction of finger 61, a slight loosening ot nut 64: permits withdrawal or the cymbal "from the drum shell 10 so that the connection between arm (30 and the shell 10 may be a permanent one.

In an equipment of the sort under discussion, it is quite important that various accessories, such for instance as the musical block 70, the cow bell 71, the crash cymbal '7 2, etc, through a very considerable range of instruments and implements, musical, noisy, and otherwise, be arranged within easy access of the drummer. For this purpose. I have provided what I call an instrument support table which may be readily attached to and detached from the bass drum. This table comprises a main board or plate 73 of suilicient width to bridge the space between and lie upon the counter hoops 22 of the two bass drum sections 10 and i1, and ot sufiicient length to prpvide ample space for the various implements and instruments which the drummer may desire to attach. Secured to the under face of table 73, preferably by brackets 74 which will preferably form a pivotal mounting, are two tie strips 75, 75, preferably formed ot thin metal and each provided at its lower end with a bend or pocket 76, the construction being: such that the pockets 76 may he slipped over adjacent bracket '12 and the tie strips then held in place by screwing the clamping screws 77 down upon or under the turn 0:": the bracket. The tie strips 75 are so proportioned in length that when they are in position as shown in Fig. 6, the table 73 will be very slightly tensioned upon the counter hoops 22.

The pivotal connection between the tie strips 75 and the table 73 permits these tie strips to be folded down upon the table so that it may be readily stored inside of the bass drum ions for transportation. Each implement 70, 71, etc, will be provided with a holding clamp having a portion 80 adapted to he slipped over the edge of the table and held in place by a clan'iping screw 81 which may conveniently engage the under face of the table. The head oi bolt 82 engages under the adjacent. flange of ring 22 and thus hole. the rea edge of the table down.

in order that the crash cymbal 72 may be held at a convenient point, the table 73 carries a bolt- 82 which is projected upwardly troin the upper tune o the table and pro- -v ded with nutter-fly nut 3 beneath which may he slipped the slotted toot 84 of a standard Qtandard 85 carries an adjustable clan'lping piece 86 which has an intermediate cylindrical pocket 87, receiving the standard 85 and spring ends 88 and 89 through which a clamping screw 90 is passed. The spring end. 89 is provided at its, end with a horizontally extended notched finger 91 adapted to receive the rod 92 which is extended through the perforation 98 in the head 94 of bolt 90, the arrangement being such that a tightening of nut 95, on bolt 90 will not only clamp the element 86 on the standard 85 but will also clamp rod 92 into the notch of finger 91 and upon the element 86.

. Rod 92 carries a hook 97 at its outer end to form a support for the crash cymbal 72. By loosening nut 95 the height and lateral position, both sidewise and backward and forward, of the crash cymbal 72 may be quickly adjusted so as to bring the crash cymbal into exactly the right position for the most convenient manipulation. The

loosening of nut 95 also permits rod 92 to be slipped out of the notch linger 91, and rod 92 to be then swung down parallel with standard 85 so that this elemen may also be readily packed in the shell of the bass drum.

As illustrated in 9, all of the various implements and instruments, after having been detached from the shell of the bass drum, may be packed in the said drum, the two sections 10 and 11 being separated from each other for that purpose and then rea sembled. In order that the skins of the bass drum may not be injured by the storage of the various devices within the shell, suitable disks ll of hard fiber may be provided. lVhen all of the implements and instruments have been packed within the bass drum, it may be placed within a suitable telescopic carrying case such as is shown in Fig. 10.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to form a shell of a bass drum with an opening covered by a trap door in order that elements or attachments might be packed within the drum for transporta ,tion, but the size of the opening in such a construction is necessarily quite limited, not only because the shell of the drum may not be materially weakened, but also because it is customary to extend the head tensioning members from one counter hoop to the other and, of course, a trap opening is limited as to size to the distance between two acent tensioning devices. By making the two sections of the bass drum telescopic and absolutel independent of each other so far as the ead tensioning construction is concerned, it becomes possible, by separating one shell of the drum from the other, to make a *ailable the entire diameter of the bass drum for the insertion of the various elements which are to be packed therein.

So far as I am aware, it is only by such a construction that an instrument as large as a snare drum could possibly be packed inside of the bass drum.

I claim as my invention:

I. A bass drum comprising telescopic shells separable from one another to expose the interior of each shell throughout its entire diameter, each carrying a drum head and independent tensioning means, and separable means "for holding said tele scopic sections in drum forming relationship with each other.

The combination with a. base drum formed by two telescopic shells separable trom one another to expose the interior of each shell throughout its entire diameter,

each shell carrying an independently tensioned drum head, of a plurality of musical instruments including a. snare drum, each having means by which it may be detachably attached to one of the bass drum shells. the several instruments being receivablev within the base drum shells.

3. The combination with a base drum 'lormed by two telescopic shells separable from one another to expose the interior of each shell throughout its entire diameter, each shell carrying an independently tensioned drum head, of a plurality of musical instruments each having means by which it may be detachably attached to one of the base drum shells, the se *eral instruments be ing receivable within the base drum shells.

l. :1 base drum comprising two shells, each carrying a drum head and. independent head tensioning means, said shells being detachable from one another and separable means for holding said shells together in drum formingrelationship with each other.

5. base drum comprising two separate shells, each carrying a drum head and independent head tensioning means, one of said shells having means for telescopically positioning the other shell with respect thereto, and separable means for holding said telescopic sections in drum forming relationship with each other.

In witness whereof I, ULYssns G. LnnnY, have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana. I

ULYSSES G. LEEDY. 

